Bottom Line

Here is the nitty gritty. Those of us who have been doing this awhile have to admit, this is not a card you're going to want to waste an application on. If you want a card that gives you ThankYou Points, the Citi Premier has a great sign up bonus that justifies the annual fee, or the Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards have $0 annual fee and very flexible Ultimate Reward points, both of which offer 0% APR for the first 15 months.

Why You Might Want This Card

What It’s Worth to You

The very unique and appealing thing about his card is the fact that it rounds your purchase up to the nearest 10 points, which can be very useful if you're in the habit of making very small purchases at grocery stores or gas stations because that is where you’ll also be earning 2% back per $1. This doesn’t apply to most of us, who spend $100’s at grocery stores per week and a chunk of change at the pump as well. So, to create a scenario for you, if everytime you’re buying your groceries, you decide to put a pack of gum on this card, yes, that could potentially be worth it for you. This one also will give you 10% points back for the first 100,000 ThankYou points you redeem per year, and we all love ThankYou points, so this is a decent perk, but is it still worth it?

Looking at the Big Picture

Let’s take a look at the card as a whole, because in reality, who is going to do a second check out at the grocery store for a pack of spearmint? Yes, there is a welcome bonus that comes after you spend $1000, No, it’s not a great one, in fact it’s pretty meager held up next to some other options out there. Citi also has a few rules that you’re going to want to look into before applying, normally it’s going to involve if you’ve gotten a Citi bonus within the last 24 months.

Exceptions To The Rule

About Citi ThankYou Points

Citi ThankYou points may not look like much at first glance, but they certainly demand our attention. While redemption can vary considerably -- depending on which credit card you hold and how you decide to redeem your points -- you can tap into some pretty significant savings. Your two best options for earning and redemption will be through the Citi Prestige or Citi Premier cards. Both cards offer a substantial sign-up bonus and extra points earned on certain spending categories. Some of the best value comes from transferring, which can only be done if you hold one of these 2 cards in your wallet.

Earning can be quick and easy, especially when you wait for a good sign-up bonus and then keep an eye on extra point categories. For example, the Prestige card gets you 5x points per $1 on airfare and restaurants, while the Premier can earn you 3x points on all travel, including gas. Make sure retention offers are on your current card so you can maximize points earned on everyday spending. We like to call every 6 months or so to make sure that the current retention offer is on the card.

Now let's talk about redeeming. ThankYou points stand out because they're transferable to every major alliance: OneWorld, SkyTeam and Star. We’ll forgive the fact that transfers aren’t always instantaneous, because Citi ThankYou points are so diverse with their partners that they’ll cover you whether you’re looking for a free domestic flight or a deluxe international fare. It can take a little research and pulling out your savvy side, but it's well worth it in the end. Some of the best redemption comes through Avianca LifeMiles, Etihad Guest, Virgin Atlantic and Singapore KrisFlyer. Just remember: you must hold the Prestige or Premier Card to transfer. We suggest checking those airlines to see if your route is covered by any of them.

Where Citi Rewards Plus Fits In This Point Ecosystem

Personal Experience